Depression Doubles Missed Work Days

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Full-time employees in the United States with depression miss
nearly twice as many work days each year than their counterparts
who have never been depressed, a new analysis from Gallup shows.

Among full-time workers in the nation, 10.8 percent have been
diagnosed with
depression at some point in their lives, according to
2011-2012 data from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

These employees — who either have depression, or have had it in
the past — miss an average of 8.7 work days each year due to poor
health, compared with an average of 4.6 missed work days per year
among employees who have never been diagnosed with depression,
Gallup found. [ 7 Ways
to Reduce Job Stress ]

The rate of depression is higher in the part-time workforce, and
so is it rate of absences tied to the mental illness. Gallup
found that 16.6 percent of part-time workers have ever been
depressed, and they miss an average of 13.7 work days per year
due to poor health, compared to 8.7 absences among part-time
employees with no history of depression.

On a national scale, this means depression is linked with 68
million absences from work each year, which translates to an
estimated $23 billion in lost productivity for employers. Beyond
lost work days, depression could drag on employees' productivity
while they're on the job, and lead to further economic losses due
to costs associated with turnover, workers' compensation, and
healthcare, Gallup said.

"As U.S. employers move more aggressively to positively affect
change around the physical wellbeing of some of their employees,
such interventions may be inadequate to address the mental,
emotional, and psychological health of others," Gallup officials
wrote.

In addition to investing more resources in identifying, treating
and assisting workers with depression, employers could also make
an effort to build
engagement at the workplace, Gallup recommended.

High levels of engagement at work have been linked to greater job
satisfaction, job performance and satisfaction in life. Previous
Gallup research found engaged workers don't suffer as badly from
the
Monday blues when they head back to the office; instead, they
feel almost as good on the weekdays as they do on weekends.
Another Gallup analysis published earlier this year found that
engaged employees are more likely to eat healthfully and exercise
more frequently; they're also less likely to be obese and suffer
from chronic diseases.

Meanwhile, there are workplace factors that can take a toll
mental health. One recent study found that
working long hours can raise the likelihood of depression. A
study from Canada last year found that women who felt they were
not appreciated or rewarded appropriately at their job had an
increased risk of depression, while job strain boosted the
risk of depression in men.

The new findings drew from Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index
data collected between Jan. 2, 2011 and Dec. 30, 2012, in which a
nationally representative sample of 237,615 full-time employees
(those who work at least 30 hours per week) and 66,010 part-time
employees across the country were interviewed.